


Acting the Part

by kijikun



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Miscommunication, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-23
Updated: 2013-01-23
Packaged: 2017-11-26 13:43:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/651104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kijikun/pseuds/kijikun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jade keeps acting like Karkat's matesprit. It's driving him crazy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Acting the Part

Jade's been on the meteor for less than two weeks and she's already driving Karkat out of his thinkpan.

It's not that she's done anything.

Other than hug him - her arms had been tight bands around him, her face pressed against the side of his, and she smelled perfect. But she hugged _everyone._ Even Dave.

Terezi had laughed, but Karkat had wanted to growl.

It's so stupid, they'd never even really been friends. He'd been horrible to her for years by her reckoning. He's so stupid. He could cull his past self.

Jade seems to be everywhere he goes on the meteor. Her laughter filling spaces that had been silent for so long. She moves in a way that's all her own - not human and not troll. Her sharp woofbeast hear handles catch him out when he tries to creep past the group gatherings that happen more and more now that her and John are there.

She constantly grabbing his hand and pulling him into rooms. Her fingers staying tight around his for longer than needed.

She brings him food when he's working to keep the computer systems from crapping out (he misses Sollux so damn bad). She bandaged his bloody knuckles when he lost his temper and punched a wall - he still doesn't even know why she was in the that hallway.

He let her touch his horns while they watched a movie while everyone else slept.

He wants to scream at her because he's pretty damn sure she doesn't know what signals she's giving off or how she's acting. He needs Gamzee. He need someone to pour this out to before he fucks up.

Karkat hides away with the servers.

Jade finds him though, a plate bearing a sandwich in her hands. "Hey, Karkat, thought you might be hungry," she says cheerful, giving him the same smile she probably gives to Dave, to John, to everyone.

He's so jealous and it's not her fault.

His hand still lashes out, knocking the plate from her hands. "Stop acting like my matesprit!" he screams at her. "You're not my matesprit! I don't have one! I'll never have one! Just leave me alone!"

Jade stares at him, mouth hanging open. The plate lies shattered on the floor.

Karkat drags his claws over his face.

"Karkat," her voice is soft, kind. He can't stand it.

She steps towards him a hand stretched out. A trill escapes him, soft and needy. 

Jade's fingers touch his hair, so close to his horn. He wants --

Karkat shoves his hands out and pushes her away hard enough to throw her off balance. "Leave me alone!" he growls.

He absconds.

He runs until he's as far from her as he can be. He stumbles into his respiteblock, shaking and gasping with unshed tears.

There he's done it. She'll leave him alone now.

Jade will --

He crumbles to his knees. His eyes burn but he refuses to let the tears fall.

There's the scrape of metal, then wiry arms encircle him. "Hey, best friend," Gamzee says, pulling Karkat against him chest.

The tears spill down Karkat's face. "I fucked up Gamzee. Just like I fuck everything up. I should cull myself."

"Don't be slandering my best pale-bro," Gamzee admonishes. "Tell me what's up and got your 'pan all twisted."

Karkat turns and buries his face against Gamzee's chest. "I yelled at Jade."

Gamzee chuckles. "Been watching. Witch-sis, got her flush on for you. Don't think a little yelling gonna drive her off your fine self."

He shakes his head. "No - no. She's not flushed for me. She's just - she's just being kind. She doesn't know she's been acting like she my matesprit. Humans are different."

"She been leading you on?" Gamzee asks with an edge to his voice.

Karkat curls his fingers into Gamzee's shirt. "No, Gamzee, no. She's just --"

"Not as stupid as you seem to think," Jade says from behind him.

Gamzee's arms tighten around Karkat, and he tightens his grip on Gamzee's shirt. No, no, no, no.

"You're such a fuckass, Karkat," Jade sighs, but there's no anger in her voice only open affectation. "I'm not that kind."

Karkat doesn't turn to look at her, half afraid she'll disappear and have been all his his 'pan. Gamzee's large hands stroke up and down his spine.

"Got your flush on for my best-bro?" Gamzee asks.

"Yes," Jade says, like it's the most simple thing in the world.

Karkat makes a soft questioning click, torn between disbelief and joy.

Jade's warmth presses against his back, one of her arms wrapping around his middle. Her forehead rests against the back of his neck. Karkat shivers.

He's going to wake up any moment and both Jade and Gamzee will be gone. He'll be alone. Like he always is.

Gamzee nuzzles his hair in the palest of fashions. Jade kisses his neck in a way that can only be flushed.

Karkat trills softly. Gamzee gives an answering one. Jade makes a soft inhuman sound.

Held safely between them, he starts to believe just a little that this might be real.


End file.
